Scientific Contents in Prakrta Canons

SR No.: 001670
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 1996
Total Pages: 608
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Science, & Religion
File Size: 9 MB

Page 196

174 : Scientific Contents in Prākrta Canons
Jainas must be given credit for observing symmetry in shapes and mentioning diamond of a hexagonal shape as agreed today?
The Jaina scriptures do not mention the specification of various shapes. On the other hand, the crystallographers can tell their internal structures with their unit cell dimensions. Not only this, they have learnt the condition under which a body can be given different shapes. The Jainas seem to have observed the gross crystalline substances. The scientists can now tell that a gross body is made up of a group of single crystals or unit cells useful for modern electronic equipments..
The property of shape has been included in the term 'rūpi' in Bhagavati and by Pujyapāda and others. But it seems that the original literature mentions it separately as in aphorism 5. 24 of Umāsvāti by the word 'Sansthāna' and in Uttarādhyayana. It could be due to its gross nature in comparision to other qualities. However, the aphorism also mentions other forms of matter which are finer than basic shapes (i.e. shadow, darkness, hot and cold light ) which are either forms of light or its phenomena and perceptible by eye. Uttarādhyayana? seems to be right by keeping light and sound in one category and shape in another category of matter manifestations. This raises the following points for serious considerations :
(i) The period by which sound has been taken to be grosser than light.
(ii) Umāsvāti has mentioned 15 modifications of matter in his aphorisms 5. 23-24 while Uttarādhyayana mentions 16 of them by excluding some of Umāsvāti's contentions ( fine, gross, binding, dissociation, motion ) and including some additions ( oneness, separateness, combination, division, number, lustre ). This difference in number and types of manifestations also requires elucidation. It could be mentioned that Umāsvāti's binding and dissociation are equivalent to combination and division of Uttarādhyayana. Further, Rampuria78 seems to have condensed these manifestations to keep the number fixed.